Lock or latch



E. CROMPTON AND c. LfcRooKs.

LOCK 0R LATCH.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-26. I9J9.

434,372, muted NW7, 1922,

awuawtoz Patented Nov. '7, 19232;.

EDWZN CROMPTON AND CHARLES L. CROOKS, 0F PUEBLO, COLORADO.

LOCK 0R LATCH.

Application filed August 26, 1919.

T 0 all '10]? cm it may concern Be it known that we, EDW'IN CnoMr'roN and CI-IARLEs L. CROOKS, citizens of the United States, residing at Pueblo, in the county of Pueblo and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Looks or Latches; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the artto which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to looks or latches and more particularly to locks or latches adapted for use on automobile and similar doors, but it will be obvious that certain features of the invention may be employed in looks or latches of other types.

It is important that such locks and latches be reliable in operation and readily assembled. It is also desirable that the lock shall be automatically operable by a keeper or strike plate as the door is closed, and that it shall be manually operable by the same hand that opens the door. It is also important that the door shall. be securely locked or latched when it is closed, so that it will not open accidentally.

One of the objects of this invention is to pro ide a lock that has few and simple parts so that it may be readily assembled and will not easily get out of order. Another object is to provide a lock or latch mechanism having a novel operating means which is so arranged that the looking or latching element is positively and automatically moved from engagement with the keeper or strike ,plate as the door is closed, and may be manually disengaged i'roi'n the keeper by the hand that opens the door. Still another object is to provide a lock that securely locks the door when the latter is closed.

According to the present invention the lock or latch mechanism comprises cam operating means that cooperates with the locking or latching element to cause its withdrawal into the casing. Such positive operating means for the looking or latching element permits the use of a relatively long locking element or bolt and deep socket in the keeper to receive such element. In addition, the lock or latch is also provided with means for retaining the bolt in a locked or latched positiom such retaining means being Serial No. 319,970.

releasable by the operating means before the cam means begins to move the bolt away from the keeper.

The above and other objects and the novel. features of this invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the drawings which illustrate one particularly desirable form in which the principles of the invention may be embodied. In these drawings,

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view or the look as it appears in locked or latched position certain parts of the mechanism being shown in elevation;

Figure 2 is a similar View, with the parts shown in unlocked or unlatched position;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 33 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the keeper or strike plate that cooperates with the lock or latch mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates a U-shaped metal casing which is open at the rear and at its upper and lower ends and is a da ited to support t-helock or latch mechanism within a, mortise in the automobile 8O door, preferably in such a position that the front wall 101 of the casing is flush with the edge of the door and also so that the upper end of the operating member or plunger P shall project adjacent to the upper 35 edge of the door where it may be engaged by the hand that opens or closes the door. The plunger P is provided with suitable means, such as a button 11 at its upper end for operating the same.

The front 101 of the casing 10 has two openings 12 and 13 therein one vertically above the other, such. openings being arranged to register respectively with a recess 14: and a socket 15 in a keeper or strike plate 5 K that is secured in the recess of the door j amb and flush with the edge of such door j amb, in the usual manner.

The socket 15 is adapted and arranged to receive the locking element or bolt L of the lock or latch, which may be of any suitable form but as illustrated has ahead or knob consisting of an elongated cylindrical body part having a rounded or hemispherical outer end adapted to fit snugly in a corre- 105 spondin hemispherical socket 15. The bolt L is comparatively long and the socket 1.5 is comparatively deep to receive it so that the parts will lock or latch the door more securely than the shorter knobs or bolts and shallower sockets heretofore known.

The bolt L normally projects through the opening 13 in the casing and is supported in such projected position by a leaf spring 16 that carries the bolt L at its upper free end and is secured at its lower end'to the inner side of the front wall 101 by the rivets 17 or other securing means.

The bolt may be operated from the plun or o eratingfmember P by any suitable cam means that will move the. bolt far enough into the casing 1.0 to allow the keeper plate to pass it-when the door is swung open and closed. The arrangement herein ill ustrated 1s a particularly simple and reliable construction in which the cam member is carried by the plunger and engagesa. part of the bolt to produce a camming action that will cause the bolt to be retracted intothe lock casing. In the particular arrangement illustrated a U-shaped stem 18is secured to the inner end of the bolt L and'between its limbs rotatably supports an anti-friction roller 19 that isnormally in contact with and engageable by the downwardly inclined cam surface 20 on the'lower edge of a cam arm 21 rigidly mounted on the vertically reciprocable plunger P. The rear ends of the stem 18 extend upwardly on opposite sides of the cam arm 21,,as at 22, to serve as guiding means and keep the arm, 21, inproper alinement with the roller 19] The plunger or operating member P is vertically reciprocable-in guide openings in two guide and bracing plates 23 and 9/l which bridge the space between the side walls oft-he casing and are secured thereto. Suitable meansmay be provided for retaining the bolt L, in its looking or latching position in the socket 15, such means being preferably released automatically when the,

door is to be opened. ir simple and desirable arrangement is herein illustrated and consists of a retaining or looking plate or dog 25 which is provided at its rear end with oppositely disposed projections or lugs 26 that [it in openings in the side walls of the lock casing to pivot the retaining plate 25 adjacent its rearend the :torwardcnd 27 of the retaining plate being "free to swing .up into position against the leafspring 16 and behind the bolt L to retain the latter in locked position.

Suitable means are provided "for automatically releasing the locking plate ordog 25. In the desirable arrangement here illustrated, the plate is providedfwith an elongated aperture 28 through which the plunger P isadapted to extend, and upon the plungerP there'are laterally extending pins 29 adapted to engage the upper side of the plateand swing the end Q'Z'thereof downwardly out oi": retaining or dogging position,

when the plunger P is depressed. A helical spring 30 that surrounds the plunger P and bears at its lower end upon the guide or brace 24 and at its upperend against the underside of the retaining plate 25 tends to I hold the plunger P'and the plate 25 in their The lock or latch may also be provided) uith means for automatically retracting the bolt L when the dooris swung to closed po sition. Vi e have herein illustrated a con venient arrangement in which the recipro- 'zable operating member P is provided with a rigid arm that pro ects outwardly'at right angles there'lroin through the opening 12 in the :tront wall of? the ca sing and carries an antl-frictlon roller member 38 at its outer end that is adapted to be engaged by the cam edge that forms a part of the upper edge of. the recess let in the keeper plate K. The upper edge of the recess 14 is also shaped so as to provide a notch at the rear endoi the, cam edge 34, which notch is adapted. to receive the end of the arm 32 and the roller by the action oft-he spring 30 when the door is'closed. This arrangement provides addi tional locking means on the lock and thereby assists in keeping it fromrattling.

' The operation of the parts will be obvious from the foregoing description and will now be briefly described. Starting with the parts in the position shown in Figure 1 in. which the door is closed a depression of the operating member P by hand first releases the retaining plate or dog 25 by swinging' it downwardly; and then the cam 20. acting upon the bolt L through the roller 19 and'stem 18 causes spring 16 to bend'and the bolt L to move rearwardly into the cas ing far enough to allow the door to be pushed open by the same hand that operates the plunger P. Gt course, at the same time the roller 33 on the arm 32 has been moved out of; the notch 35 so that it. will freely pass the lower end of the cam edge 34. In unlocking position the parts are substantially in the position indicated in Figure 2. After the door has been swung free from the jamb the hand may be removed from the plunger P and the springs 16 and 30 will cooperate to restore the parts of the mechanism to the positions shown in Fig 1.

In closing the door it is unnecessary to depresstheplunger P by hand, the necessary retraction ol the bolt L beingautomatically efiectedby means of the cam strike plate l; which cooperates 34 on the with the into which these parts may be projected 1 Ari-34,372 Q roller 33 on the end of the arm to depress the plunger upon which this arm is mounted. The arrangement is such that the plunger or operating member P will be depressed a suflicient amount to move the bolt L inwardly so that it will not catch against the edge of the door jamb when the door is swung to close it, In order to assist in automatically moving the bolt l inwardly, we may provide a depressed portion 151 on the keeper plate, such depressed portion extending from the outer edge, of the keeper plate inwardly to the socket 143 and acting as a cam against the rounded outer end oi" the bolt. At the moment the bolt L is in position to snap into the socket 15, the roller 33 is in position to snap into the notch and the door will be closed and locked. The upper guide and brace plate 28 serves as a stop to limit the upward movement of the operating member P by engaging the arm 32 near where the latter is connected to the member 1.

While we have shown and described the invention in detail it is to be understood that certain features of construction may be modified without departing from the spirit of the invention and therefore our invention is not to be limited to the exact arrangement shown and described, which is to be understood as merely illustrative of the broad principles involved.

What we claim is:

1. In a look, or latch, the combination with a casing, of swingably supported looking or latching means, and an operating member in said casing having cam means for cooperating with said means to move the same relatively to its locking or latching position.

2. In a lock or latch, the combination with a swingably supported locking or latching element, of means movable with said locking element, means for operating the locking element comprising a reciprocable operating member provided with cam means adapted and arranged to cooperate with the means movable with said locking element to move the latter from its locking position.

3. In a lock or latch, the combination with a casing and a looking or latching element normally projecting therefrom, of means for looking or dogging said element in its projected position, cam means for moving said element from its projected position, and means for operating said cam means and such locking or dogging means.

i. In a lock or latch, the combination with a swingably supported looking or latching element, of means for operating the same comprising a reciprocable member having a rigid arm provided with a cam portion adapted and arranged to cooperate with means on said element to move the latter from its looking or latching position.

5. In a lock or latch, the combination with a bolt, of means for locking or dogging the same in its looking or latching position, and means for releasing said locking or dogging means and for operating said bolt compris ing a reciprocable member having a rigid 'from its operative position against the tension of said spring.

7. In a lock or latch, the combination with a bolt, of means for moving said bolt from its locking or latching position comprising an operating member having an arm carrying a roller that is adapted and arranged for en gagement by a keeper or strike plate.

8. In a lock or latch, the combination with a bolt, of means for retaining said bolt in its looking or latching position comprising a pivoted member having arecess therein, and means for releasing such retaining means and bolt comprising a member projecting into said recess and provided with a pin arranged to cooperate with said pivoted memher to swing it from retaining position relatively to said bolt.

9. In a lock or latch, the combination with a swinging bolt carrying an antifriction roller, of cam means for engaging said roller and moving said bolt from its looking or latching position.

10. In a lock or latch, the combination with a swinging bolt provided with spaced portions carrying antifriction means between them, of an operating member for said bolt having cam means adapted and arranged to engage said antifriction means to operate said bolt.

11. In a lock or latch, the combination with a swinging bolt carrying antifriction means, of a reciprocable operating member having cam means adapted and arranged to engage said antifriction means and move said bolt from its locking position, and means tending to restore said bolt to a looking or latching position.

12. In a lock or latch, the combination of a casing, a bolt normally projecting therefrom and having an antifriction roller mounted on a part thereof inside the casing, a leaf spring mounted in said casing and supporting said bolt in its projected position, a pivoted lever having one end adapted to retain said bolt in its projected or locked position, said lever having a recess therein, a plunger or reciprocable operating member having a part projecting through said recess and a part accessible from the exterior of said casing, means on said plunger for engaging said lever to release said belt, a cam rigidly. mounted on said plunger and mov able therewith into engagement with said roller to retract said bolt into-the casing an and disposed on the other side 0:1? said. cam.

means.

'14:. In a latch, the combination with a.

r is i ezia swingably supported bolt, of reciprocable means for moving said bolt, comprising cam means, an operating handle connected toone side of said cam means and extending upwardly therefrom, a stem connected to another side of said camv means and extending downwardly therefrom, and a helical spring surrounding said stem and, cooperating with such moving means to restore said cam means to normal position.

In testimony whereof we hereunto aflix our si gnat-u res.

EDWVI'N CROMPTONL CHARLES L. JROOKS. lVitnesses Mosns LEVY, JOHN MoNsoi-r. 

